Schools in Zimbabwe have been forced to close early as preparations for the country's forthcoming national census, set to start next month, are now in full swing.

The move, says the Zimbabwe Statistics Agency, is meant to give teachers time to train as enumerators. Schools were originally scheduled to close for the second term next week.

Harare teacher Abbiot Moyo said the government should plan better in the future so students do not have to disrupt their studies unnecessarily.

"The Government knew it would conduct a census in 2012 and should have factored this in the school calender last year," said an irate Moyo. "It seems as if the Ministry of Education is always the casualty when it comes to disruptions."

"Most schools in the country were in the process of preparing for mid-term exams with some students laying the groundwork for Ordinary and Advanced Level examinations in November," he added.